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FAQs about Sand-Sifting Sea Star Selection
Related Articles:
Sand-Sifting Stars, Asterina Stars,
An Introduction to the Echinoderms: The Sea Stars, Sea
Urchins, Sea Cucumbers and More... By
James W. Fatherree, M.Sc.
Related FAQs: Seastar Selection,
Seastar Scavenger Selection,
Sandsifting Stars 1, Sandsifting Stars
2, & FAQs on:
Sandsifting Star ID, Sandsifting Star
Behavior, Sandsifting Star
Compatibility, Sandsifting Star
Systems, Sandsifting Star Feeding,
Sandsifting Star Disease,
Sandsifting Star Reproduction, &
Sand Sifters for Marine Systems,
Sea Stars 1, Sea Stars 2,
Sea Stars 3, Sea Stars 4,
Sea Stars 5, Brittlestar
Selection, Serpent Star
Scavengers, Seastar Compatibility,
Seastar Systems,
Seastar Behavior, Seastar
Feeding, Seastar Reproduction,
Seastar Disease, Asterina
Stars, Chocolate
Chip Stars, Crown of Thorns Stars,
Fromia Stars, Linckia Stars,
Linckia Stars 2, |
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Re: -sand sifting stars hlth/dis- 11/17/08 11/20/08
Sara m. - I do appreciate the reply but could do without your rudeness.
<I'm sorry, but I do believe you are confusing candor for rudeness.>
for your information, my husband has had a salt water fish tank for 20
years now and more than likely is more informed than you are.
<Then why did you ask me/us for help?>
he's had sand sifting stars last for more than 2 years...
<Sometimes these animals take 2 years to die. They linger on, slowing
starving to death until they are too weak to steer themselves away from
a pump or otherwise begin to disintegrate. The only way these animals
can live more than a year or two in captivity is in a very, very large
tank with a substantial, aged deep sand bed. And even then, the tank can
usually only sustain one of them. As Mr. Fenner's article on Sea Stars
points out, though "hardy" in some sense, they will inevitably and most
certainly "denude" even tanks of hundreds of gallons of all interstitial
fauna. Once
they've
depleted the systems of their food source, they will slowly start to
die. So, not only are you dooming the star fish, you are depleting your
tank of much beneficial interstitial fauna.>
this was an unusual circumstance with a new purchase and something we
had never seen before... we were looking for guidance, not sarcasm.
thanks for nothing.
<I
was not at all sarcastic, simply frank (as I'm again being here).
Best,
Sara M.>
UG Filtration use And Sand Sifting Starfish fdg. 2/22/08
Hi,
<Hello Richard>
I have a 200L tank which currently holds 6
Hippocampus kudas and a Blue Linckia (plus a handful of small
critters thrown in for good measure).
I'm filtering the tank
through an undergravel filter combined with an external canister
filter on one of the UG uplifts (the other two are just
running
on air).
<The UG may/will cause big problems for you down the
road. Do read here.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/ug5proscons.htm>
I'm fairly new to a marine setup, having come from the freshwater
world where I always ensured that I had something in the tank which
rummaged
through the gravel to remove the bigger particles & stop
calcification. I don't have anything in this tank however to do
that, so I'm looking around
at what I can get for the job. I was
considering a Sand Sifting Starfish, but I'm concerned that I'll end
up having some kind of issue with the
filtration (although I
imagine it's not going to eat the filter - I hope! - or stop the
bacteria working).
<This would be a good addition in keeping the
substrate churned. Keep in mind that the substrate should be coral
sand. Crushed coral and the like isn't going to make the starfish
very happy.>
Any thoughts on this? I've read up in a few places
about these starfish, but never in relation to UG filtration.
<As
long as the "sand" bed is 1 1/2" deep or more, you should be fine in
keeping this starfish. It may require additional feeding if enough
nutrients aren't available.
I have one myself and whenever the
starfish exposes itself for any length of time, it's telling me it's
hungry. My trick is to use a syringe minus needle, and inject blood
worms into the sand just below it. Believe me, it doesn't take long
before the starfish buries himself and starts munching on the worms.
Must have a great sense of smell.>
Many thanks in advance,
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Richard
Re: Undergravel Filtration And Starfish 2/23/08
Hi James,
<Hi Richard>
thanks for the reply.
<You're welcome.>
The
substrate I'm using is 3mm crushed coral, so I guess the starfish is
ruled out. Any suggestions on alternative cleaners?
<Mmm,
probably the Nassarius and Cerith Snails would be your best bet, the
Nassarius being the better for eating waste/detritus as they often
burrow into the substrate searching for food.>
I've read the link
on UG filters (even quoted it). Before making the jump from
freshwater to marine I never really had any issues, as long as I had
something in the tank which regularly churned the gravel (loaches
were especially good for this), which is what I'm looking for now.
Certainly
it's my feeling that an UG filter is better able to
absorb a spike in ammonia.
<A wet/dry trickle filter would be my
choice. If the substrate isn't maintained (gravel siphon) on a
regular basis, a nitrate factory will soon develop sharing real
estate with a hydrogen sulphide plant.>
Also, the filter canister
(440L/hour) is drawing through the UG which gives a nice final
filtration/backup.
This was probably the best info source that I
found:
http://www.syngnathid.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=FlatMates&Numbe
r=53935&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1
<Led me to the home
page with errors.>
To be fair, it does kind of show the starfish
in a crushed coral base.
<Much easier for them to move around in
a sand base than 3mm (1/8") gravel.>
Thanks & regards,
<You're
welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Richard |
Sand Sifting Seastar - Salty Dog's Reply
Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005
I have some question regarding a sand sifting sea star. I just recently
setup a 37 gallon tank with about 2 inches of sand in the bottom and a
nice lonely 4 # piece of live rock (that stuff is expensive!!). I have
one blue damsel and a coral beauty (so beautiful). I have had my tank
like this for about 3 weeks and the sand started to get a little dirty
looking. So I went to my local aquarium store and they told me that I
needed a clean up crew. So he goes off and gets me 3 snails and 3
crabs (the ones that are in the shell). I figured this was all well and
fine and then he told me I should get a sand sifting star. I asked him
"isn't my tank to small" and he told me that he has been doing this for
like 7 years and it will be fine. He puts his hand in the aquarium,
grabs the sea star with his bare hands, takes the star out of the
aquarium so the star makes contact with the air (thought you weren't
supposed to do that)...
<No, stars are not supposed to be exposed to
air>
... and he puts him in a baggy with some water from the tank. I
asked him why one of his arms was half missing and he told me this is
how they reproduce.
<Wrong, starfish can regenerate lost limbs but
they don't reproduce this way>
So I decided I would take his word
for it and go with getting the sea star. I took him home and did all the
stuff that I normally do to introduce a fish. Put the bag in the water
for like 15 minutes. Open the bag pour out a little water, Pour in a cup
from my tank, wait 15 minutes a repeat 3 times and then put him in the
aquarium. Well I put him in the aquarium last night and he just
burrowed himself into the sand and I've never seen him since.
<Sounds healthy>
My question for you is first of all should I have
even gotten a sand sifting sea star? Is my tank to new to have
introduced him? Is my tank to small to have him?
<Your tank is too
small to keep one of these alive for any long term duration. These stars
eat the sand fauna present in the bed and on a tank your size that food
source will be depleted in no time.>
Was he lying about the
reproduction thing?
<Yes>
Should they ever contact open air?
<No>
Will I ever see him since he is in the sand?
<Occasionally>
And if I can't see him how will I know he is still
alive?
<I suggest you take it back to the dealer for a refund/trade
as it will not survive in your tank. I've read somewhere one of these
stars require 10 to 12 square feet of an active sandbed to exist.>
This is my first visit to your site and I am new to salt water. Thank
you so much for having such an informative wonderful site <You're
welcome, James (Salty Dog)> Sand-Sifting Star,
Cucumber, Or Both? - 11/25/05
Eric, ok if I ask a few more
questions?
<<I'm here to help...>>
Again, tank info: 180 gallon
with 6 ft. x 18 inch territory of sand. Fish Stock: Starting with the
largest inches from lips to tail) Naso Tang, Green Bird Wrasse, Hawaiian
Foxface, Coral Beauty, True Percula Clown, Yellow Tang, Royal Gamma, 3
Striped Damsels, 3 Blue Damsels, Six-Line Wrasse. Foods: Nori, Clams,
Spirulina, Plankton, & Ocean's Formula 2. Q1: Is there a sea star or
cucumber that would make a good sand sifter for my aquarium?
<<I
utilize some sea cucumbers in my tank.>>
If so, which is best?
<<Holothuria thomasi, the Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber is a popular specie,
as are some others in the trade. Do stay away from the highly toxic
"Sea Apple"...not a sand-sifter anyways.>>
My Green Bird Wrasse is a
hunter who has gone after crabs who now hide by day and eat by night. I
have stayed away from snails because of him so cleaning creatures that
burrow or good hiders that only come out at night are a good fit with
him in the tank.
<<Mmm...if the wrasse goes after the 'cukes it
could be trouble for the whole tank.>>
Q2: Would our tank support
another fish? If so, we would like a Blue Hippo Tang. Based on our
tank size and tank mates, good or bad idea?
<<I wouldn't, you're
pretty full as it is...maybe too full once that Naso matures.>>
Debi Stanley-Viloria
"Everything is ok in the end. If it's not ok,
then it's not the end."
<<Regards, EricR>>
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